Boot or shoe



E. G. GALLAGHER.

(No Model.)

BOOT ORSHOE' N0. 572,887. Patented Dec. 8, 1896.

A N. W

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWVARD G. GALLAGHER, OF SOUTH FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOT OR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,887, dated December 8, 1896.

Application filed June 1, 1896. Serial No. 593,703. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD G. GALLA- GHER, of South Framingham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boots or Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to enable a boot or shoe to be constructed with a pneumatic or inflatable inner sole or cushion as a part of the structure of its bottom, to the end that the wearer of the shoe may have greater ease in walking than when the bottom is made practically unyielding, as usual.

' The invention consists in the improved construction which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings,- forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a boot embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a bottom view of the construction shown in Fig. 1, the outer sole and heel being removed. 3 represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: represents a bottom View of the heel portion of the shoe shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents a perspective View of the inflatable sole or cushion removed.

The same letters of reference indicate same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents the upper of a boot or shoe, and 1) represents a welt-like extension united to the upper and to the primary inner sole 0 by means of stitches d, the inner sole, upper, and extension being connected in the same manner that the inner sole, upper, and welt of an ordinary welted shoe are connected.

erepresents a marginal sole or casing which is placed upon the outer face of the'inner sole 0 and surrounds a chamber which receives the inflatable sole or cushion f.

9 represents a secondary inner sole which is placed upon the outer face of the marginal sole and is secured by stitches h to the outer edge of the extension I) and to a welt 'i, the extension Z) being carried around the outer edge of the marginal sole 6 and laid upon the edge of the secondary inner sole 9, after which th e the welt '6 is applied, the said welt and extension being secured to the secondary inner sole by the same stitches h. The secondary inner sole is provided with a longitudinal slot or orifice g, which is formed to permit the insertion and removal of the inflatable sole or cushion f, which is a sole-shaped bag of rubber provided with a valve f, which projects through the sectional inner sole 9 and also through the outer sole j and into a recess formed in the breast of the heel 7c. The outer sole j is secured to the welt '6 in the manner common to welted boots and shoes.

It will be seen that the described construction provides a suitable chamber or cavity for the reception of the inflatable sole and enables said sole to be applied to the boot or shoe prior to the application of the outer sole and to be inflated at any time, so as to form an elastic support for the primary inner sole. The recess k in the breast of the heel receiving the valve f protects the valve f fromin jury and enables it to be readily connected with an air-pump.

I claim A boot or shoe comprising a primary inner sole, an upper and an upper extension stitched to the primary inner sole, a marginal sole or casing placed upon the outer face of the primary inner sole, a secondary inner sole placed upon the outer face of the marginal sole, a welt stitched with the upper extension to the secondary inner sole, the said extension holding the marginal sole in place, an outer sole secured to the welt, and an inflatable sole or cushion inserted in the chamber surrounded by the marginal sole and provided with a projecting valve, the secondary inner sole having an orifice for the insertion and removal of said cushion.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 27th day of May, A. D. 1896.

EDWVARD G. GALLAGHER.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. Fonn, RICHARD ENGLISH. 

